Revista Pastos y Forrajes Volumen 41n1 del 2018

Vol. 41, No. 1, January-March 2018 / NRS 0099
ISSN 0864-0394 (printed version) / ISSN 2078-8452 (online version)
Quarterly journal. Official organ of the Ministry of Higher Education for pastures and forages | 1978
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TOPICS
• Introduction, evaluation and dissemination of
plant genetic resources related to the farming
sector.
• Agroecological management of production
systems.
• Sustainable livestock production.
• Conservation of forages and agroindustrial
byproducts for animal feeding.
• Agroforestry for animal and agricultural
production.
• Integrated food and energy production
systems in rural areas.
• Utilization of alternative medicine in tropical
farming systems.
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change in farming ecosystems.
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farming production.
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technology transference.
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Vol. 41, No. 1, January-March / 2018
Revista Trimestral. Órgano oficial del Ministerio de Educación Superior para el área de los pastos y forrajes
Quarterly journal. Official organ of the Ministry of Higher Education for pastures and forages
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CONTENT
| scientific paper |
Edaphic indicators after the conversion of a grassland area into
agroecological systems
Guillermina Hernández-Vigoa†
, Grisel de la Caridad Cabrera-Dávila, Irma
Izquierdo-Brito, Ana América Socarrás-Rivero, Luis Hernández-Martínez
and Jorge Alberto Sánchez-Rendón...................................................................3
| TECHNICAL NOTE |
Soil quality index in the Animal Husbandry Enterprise El Tablón
(Cienfuegos, Cuba)
Lázaro Jesús Ojeda-Quintana, Yoandy Machado-Díaz, Yanorys Bernal Carrazana,
Martha E. Hernández-Vilches, Lisbet Font-Vila, Consuelo Hernández-
Rodríguez, Martha E. Hernández-Vilchesand Enrique Casanovas-Cosío...13
Dehydration of the foliage, under sunlight and shade, of three forage
protein plants
Iván Lenin Montejo-Sierra, Luis Lamela-López and Onel López-Vigoa..............20
| TECHNICAL NOTE |
Addition of energy sources and inoculants in the elaboration of cassava-
based yogurt
Alfonso Benítez-de la Torre; Iván Lenin Montejo-Sierra; Yolanda E. Morales-García,
Jesús Muñoz-Rojas, Ramón Díaz-Ruíz and Pedro Antonio López.................29
Prevalence of subclinical mastitis and associated microorganisms
Flavia García-Sánchez, Tania Sánchez-Santana, Onel López-Vigoa and Miguel
Ángel Benítez- Álvarez.....................................................................................33
Effect of the presence of shade in sheep grazing areas. 2. Animal activity
Janet Solórzano-Montilla, Livia Pinto-Santini, Selina Camacaro-Calvete, Daniel
Vargas-Guzmán and Leyla Ríos-de Álvarez..................................................39
Study of biodiversity components in the agroecological farm La Paulina,
Perico municipality, Cuba
Idolkys Milián-García, Saray Sánchez-Cárdenas, Hilda Beatriz Wencomo-Cárdenas,
Wendy Mercedes Ramírez-Suárez and Marlen Navarro-Boulandier.........47
Adoption of new agroecological practices in three basic units of
cooperative production
Yuván Contino-Esquijerosa, Jesús Manuel Iglesias-Gómez, Odalys Caridad
Toral-Pérez, Janet Blanco-Lobaina, Mario González-Novo, Roberto
Caballero-Grandeand Eliecer Perera-Concepción........................................52
Study of food accessibility in two rural municipalities of Matanzas
province, Cuba
Hilda Caridad Machado-Martínez, Taymer Miranda-Tortoló, Saray Sánchez-
Cárdenas and Juan Carlos Lezcano-Fleires....................................................59
| TECHNICAL NOTE |
Experience of biogas supply in a rural community, in Cuba
Alexander López-Savran and Jesús Suárez-Hernández..........................................67

Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 1, January-March, 3-12, 2018 / Edaphic indicators in agroecological systems 3
Scientific Paper
Edaphic indicators after the conversion of a grassland area into
agroecological systems
Guillermina Hernández-Vigoa†
, Grisel de la Caridad Cabrera-Dávila, Irma Izquierdo-Brito,
Ana América Socarrás-Rivero, Luis Hernández-Martínez and Jorge Alberto Sánchez-Rendón
Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática; Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y Medio Ambiente
Carretera de Varona 11835, Calabazar, Boyeros, La Habana 19, CP 11900, Cuba
Corresponding author: grisel17@ecologia.cu
Abstract
The objective of the study was to evaluate the conversion of a grassland area into a forage and a polycrop area
with the application of agroecological methods, through different soil biological, physical and chemical variables, in a
farm with animal husbandry-agriculture integration in the Cangrejeras locality –Artemisa province, Cuba–. The total
macrofauna and mesofauna; functional groups of epigeal, anecic and endogeal species of the macrofauna; oribatids,
uropodines and gamasines of the mesofauna; underground phytomass; hydrosoluble carbon content; microbial biomass;
activity of the dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase enzymes; total organic carbon; percentage of stable aggregates and
apparent soil density, were studied. The relation among the variables and their contribution to the grassland conversion
were explored by the principal component analysis. From the 16 evaluated variables, only nine (epigeal and endogeal
macrofauna, oribatid and uropodine mesofauna, total organic carbon and hydrosoluble carbon, acid phosphatase enzyme,
percentage of aggregates and apparent soil density) were recommended for the integral analysis of soil quality and of
the impact of the land use change. The integrated analysis of all the variables, according to their correlations and the
system arrangement, showed that the conversion from grassland to forage was a favorable agroecological practice for
the conservation of soil quality and sustainable soil use; while crop sowing and rotation (polycropping) affected quality.
Keywords: exploitation systems, soil conservation, soil fauna.
Introduction
In order to evaluate the soil health status and
productive capacity biological, physical and chemi-
cal variables are used, acknowledged as indicators
of soil quality (Bastida et al., 2008). Among the
biological variables, edaphic biodiversity plays a
significant role in the regulation of the important
services of ecosystems and in the complexity of the
food chain in the soil, for which the use of organisms
is essential to monitor its functions and conditions
(De Vries et al., 2013).
In Cuba, the use of edaphic indicators has
been aimed mainly at learning the effect of
the disturbances caused by different soil uses and
managements, which include organic agriculture
and rehabilitation of degraded or contaminated
soils (Alguacil et al., 2012; Socarrás-Rivero and
Izquierdo-Brito, 2014). However, it is known
that the selection of these indicators and their
application is difficult, due to the natural diversity
and high spatial-temporary heterogeneity of the soil
properties; as well as to the number and complexity
of edaphic processes, especially the biological ones
(Bastida et al., 2008). In Cuba, most of the results
have shown high variability, caused by seasonality,
soil type, and land use.
Based on these results, the need of an integral
analysis of the studied variables to search for
generalizations (or patterns) with the use of edaphic
indicators, was identified. For such analysis, some
results of the project «Evaluation of agroecological
methods through the use of bioindicators of the
soil conservation status», which was carried
out to determine the impact produced by the
conversion of a grassland area into agroecological
systems (Izquierdo-Brito et al., 2004), were used.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the
transformation of grassland into an area of forage
and another one of polycrop applying agroecological
methods, through different biological, physical and
chemical variables of the soil; as well as to suggest
the most relevant variables for indicating soil
quality and impact of land management.
Materials and Methods
Study location. The study was conducted in
an agroecological farm in the Cangrejeras locality
(23º 02’ W, 82º 31’ N), Artemisa province, Cuba.
The climate of the region is humid subtropical, with
mean annual temperature of 24,6 ºC and total an-
nual rainfall of 1 300 mm, mainly distributed from
May to October. The soil in these areas corresponds

4 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 1, January-March, 3-12, 2018 / Guillermina Hernández-Vigoa†
to the genetic type Ferralitic Red, according to the
criteria exposed in the classification of Cuban soils
(Hernández-Jiménez et al., 2015).
Evaluated areas. The experimental sites start-
ed from a grassland area cultivated for more than
20 years, in which one part was turned into a forage
production field and the other one to polycrop, of
1 000 and 500 m2
, respectively. A remnant site of
1 000 m2
was preserved as grassland (control). The
more detailed analysis of the experimental design
was described by Izquierdo-Brito et al. (2003).
To the grassland (G), referred as control, no
organic amendments were applied, and its stock-
ing rate was low (below 2,0 LAU ha-1
). In the plant
community Megathyrsus maximus Jacq., Cynodon
nlemfuensis Vanderhyst and Teramnus uncinatus
(L.) Sw. prevailed, and the yield in this area was
11 t ha-1
of dry matter (DM).
The forage area (F) was sown with Saccharum
officinarum L., Pennisetum sp. and Leucaena leu-
cocephala (Lam.) de Wit. This system was aimed
at the practice of silvopastoralism with a stocking
rate similar to that of the grassland, and cutting
was also applied in order to supply forage for cattle.
The agricultural yield obtained was 16,5 t ha-1
DM.
Thus, for the grassland as well as the forage area,
the yields reached responded to the feeding plans
for cattle in the farm.
In the polycrop (C), short-cycle crops were
combined with long-cycle crops in a 30:70 ratio.
The short-cycle crops included: cassava (Manihot
esculenta Crantz.), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.),
squash (Cucurbita pepo L.), tomato (Solanum ly-
copersicum L.), papaya (Carica papaya L.) and
spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.); and among the
long-cycle ones: plantains (Musa paradisiaca L.),
grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.), bitter orange
(Citrus aurantium L.) and cherimoya (Annona
reticulata L.). The short-cycle crops were subject
to a rotation system in which tomato-beans, pa-
paya-cassava, beans-cassava, spinach-tomato and
squash-beans were associated. The yields of the
main crops were (t ha-1
of fruits): P. vulgaris: 1,2;
C. pepo: 16,9; S. lycopersicum: 11,4; M. paradisiaca:
141,7; C. paradisi: 24,5; C. aurantium: 4,3; A. reticulata:
1,8; which were within the conceived food produc-
tion plans.
In the forage and polycrop areas organic fer-
tilizer (compost, earthworm humus and harvest
waste) was applied, before sowing, at a rate of 4,0-
5,6 t ha-1
, respectively. Eight years after the establish-
ment of the systems, the physical, chemical and
biological indicators were evaluated during a year,
in the rainy and dry seasons.
Biological variables. The soil macrofauna
(invertebrates larger than 2 mm of diameter) was
sampled according to the methodology of the in-
ternational program «Tropical Soil Biology and
Fertility» or TSBF (Anderson and Ingram, 1993),
which consisted in the in situ revision of four soil
monoliths of 25 x 25 x 3 cm for each evaluated
system. To sample the mesofauna (invertebrates
between 0,2 and 2,0 mm diameter) five soil sam-
ples were taken in each area, using a cylinder of
5 cm diameter and 10 cm depth. In the laboratory
the edaphic mesofauna was extracted with Tullgren
funnels, without heat source during seven days.
The macrofauna and mesofauna were identified to
the family level, with the aid of different specialists,
the review of taxonomic works and the consultation
of the entomological collection located in the Insti-
tute of Ecology and Systematics –Havana, Cuba.
From a functional point of view, the macrofauna
was separated into: epigeal organisms, including
those invertebrates that live on the surface and the
soil litter with mainly detritivorous trophic habit,
such as millipedes, snails, woodlice, among others;
anecic organisms, which live partly in the soil and
are essentially constituted by termites and ants;
and endogeal organisms, which permanently re-
side in the soil and include earthworms and some
beetles (Lavelle, 1997). For the mesofauna, only
oribatids and uropodines, as detritivorous groups,
and gamasines, as predator organisms, were taken
into consideration, all susceptible to the organic
matter quality and to moisture and, thus, indicators
of the fertility and stability of the edaphic medium
(Socarrás-Rivero, 1999).
In the case of the macrofauna biomass values
based on humid weight in the preserving solution
(formaldehyde 4 % + alcohol 80 %) were estimated.
The biomass was chosen because it shows directly
the function of macrofauna in the transformation of
the soil physical properties (Barbault, 1992). For the
mesofauna the density values (ind.m-2
) were calcu-
lated, from the number of individuals. The biomass
as well as density was calculated for the total fauna
and for the different functional groups.
The estimation of the underground phytomass
in the pastureland was done by randomly extracting
three soil samples of 0-10 cm of depth in each area,
with a cylinder of 5 cm diameter. Afterwards, the ma-
terial was dried in stove at 105 ºC, for determining
total underground phytomass by gravimetric analysis.

The other biological variables and the physi-
cal-chemical ones were randomly evaluated in five
soil samples, composed by six subsamples of 0-10
cm depth in each area, with a 150-cm3
cylinder; the
full procedure was described by Izquierdo-Brito et
al. (2003; 2004). Likewise, the activity of the dehy-
drogenase and phosphatase enzymes, hydrosoluble
carbon and carbon from the microbial biomass were
determined, through the methodologies described
by Izquierdo-Brito et al. (2003).
Physical-chemical variables. The total organic
carbon,percentageofaggregatestabilityandapparent
density were determined by the methodologies
described in the TSBF (Anderson and Ingram, 1993).
Data analysis. The relations that were established
among the biological, physical and chemical
properties of the soil and their contribution to the
essay,asaresultofthetransformationofthegrassland
into agroecological systems (forage and polycrop),
were explored through a principal component analysis
(PCA) performed by the program PAST version
3.11 (Hammer, 2015). The variables used were:
total edaphic macrofauna (MAC); epigeal (EPI),
endogeal (END) and anecic organisms (ANEC) of
the macrofauna; total edaphic mesofauna (MES);
oribatids (ORIB), uropodines (URO) and gamasines
(GAM) belonging to the mesofauna; underground
phytomass (UP); total organic carbon (TOC); water
soluble carbon (SC); microbial biomass carbon
(CBIO); activities of the enzymes phosphatase (PA)
and dehydrogenase (DA); apparent density (AD)
and aggregate stability (AS). The PCA was made
from a correlation matrix, and the significance of
the variables was specified through the internal
correlation circle proposed by Fariñas (1996).
This was defined by the values of r (correlation
coefficient) for the sample size [(combination of
plots x seasons) (n = 24) minus 2 (n – 2) (degrees
of freedom)]. Thus, every vector that was outside
the internal circle showed significant correlation
(p < 0,05). The PCA also served to determine
how the studied sites were interrelated and grouped
dependingontheresponseoftheedaphicvariables.For
such purpose, the dual graph or biplot was constructed.
Results and Discussion
Biological, physical and chemical variables.
Most of the studied edaphic variables (10) showed
higher values in the grassland and forage areas,
in the dry as well as the rainy seasons (table 1).
The total and endogeal macrofauna followed this
pattern, although the total one did not keep it in
the rainy season, because its highest values were
manifested in the forage and the polycrop and not
in the grassland. The endogeal macrofauna was
represented by earthworms, which commonly
showed high biomass in the grassland ecosystems,
which coincides with the findings by Lavelle
(1997), Bartz et al. (2013) and Chávez-Suárez et
al. (2016). Within the macrofauna, the epigeal and
anecic organisms were favored with the forage
and polycrop management, especially during the
rainy season. Both functional groups mainly have
detritivorous function and, thus, could have been
benefitted by the input and quality of the litter from
leucaena and the different crops in these systems
(Cabrera-Dávila et al., 2007).
In the case of the mesofauna, it was proven
that the agricultural practices that characterized
the grassland and forage areas positively contribut-
ed in total abundance and in the abundance of the
different edaphic microarthropods that compose it,
during the two seasons (table 1). Such result shows
the influence of the higher stability in management,
of root density and of the direct contribution of
cattle dejections on these areas, which served as
stimulation in the establishment of the mesofauna
(Sánchez-de-Prager et al., 2015; Socarrás-Rivero
and Izquierdo-Brito, 2016).
Regarding the underground phytomass, it was
higher during the dry season in the three studied
sites, mainly in the grassland; while the lowest values
were obtained during the rainy season (table 1). The
distribution pattern of the underground phytomass,
inverse with regards to the aerial one depending on
seasonality, has been frequently found in grassland
ecosystems, and explains the strategies of resource
allocation of the plant, which concentrates or trans-
fers its reserves to the underground organs (roots
and rhizomes) during the senescence period until
spring or the onset of rains, when the regrowth of
aerial components occurs (Hernández and Sánchez,
2012).
This behavior of root biomass distribution has
been observed in many studies which involve plants
from temperate and tropical regions (Tomlinson
et al., 2012), and it is stated that the distribution
of more biomass to the roots is mainly due to mecha-
nisms of morphological adjustments that increase
the water and nutrient absorption capacity, proba-
bly in association with the mycorrhizae (Sánchez
et al., 2011; Herrera-Peraza et al., 2016). Hernández
and Sánchez (2012), in a study about the dynamics
of soil moisture and the phytomass of fine roots

(< 1,0 mm), in seven ecosystems with different soil
conditions and vegetation types in the Sierra del
Rosario Biosphere Reserve –Cuba–, found that the
underground phytomass changed with the seasons
and that the highest values were found in the micro-
phyllus forest, where the soil moisture was lower.
The concentrations of total organic carbon and
water soluble carbon were higher in the grassland
area with regards to the forage and the polycrop
areas, in both seasons (table 1). This result was as-
sociated with a higher input of root exudates and a
lower organic matter mineralization rate, compared
with the forage and the polycrop, which were not
compensated by the permanence of organic remains
from the agroecological management or by the ad-
dition of compost (Izquierdo-Brito et al., 2003).
The microbial biomass and the activity of the
enzyme acid phosphatase were also higher in the
grassland compared with the forage and polycrop
areas, in both seasons; nevertheless, the phospha-
tase activity in the latter in the rainy season did not
vary considerably with regards to the forage area.
Likewise, the activity of the enzyme dehydroge-
nase, an oxidoreductase which is present only in
living cells (Dick, 2011), was higher in the grassland
in both seasons and in the forage area in the rainy
Table 1. Mean values (± SD) for the edaphic variables in the grassland (G), forage (F) and polycrop (C) areas.
Edaphic variable
Dry season Rainy season
G F C G F C
Total macrofauna
(gm-2
)
23,9
(23,0)
36,2
(21,6)
6,8
(5,1)
33,2
(11,0)
66,9
(16,5)
62,8
(53,6)
Epigeal macrofauna
(gm-2
)
2,5
(2,1)
26,3
(22,9)
3,1
(4,3)
4,5
(6,8)
49,8
(21,5)
54,4
(45,6)
Anecic macrofauna
(gm-2
)
0,58
(0,7)
0,49
(0,3)
0,49
(0,2)
0,83
(0,5)
0,49
(0,2)
1,77
(1,0)
Endogeal macrofauna
(gm-2
)
20,8
(20,9)
9,4
(1,7)
3,2
(3,5)
27,9
(17,3)
16,6
(5,0)
6,6
(7,8)
Total mesofauna
(ind.m-2
)
82 449
(4 293,7)
100 563
(3 576,6)
59 322
(1 295,9)
111 980
(8 272,2)
140 993
(10 314,5)
52 427
(2 338,6)
Mesofauna-oribatids
(ind.m-2
)
22 896
(798,4)
31 896
(1 648,7)
7 747
(361,7)
41 229
(4 850,2)
49 882
(3 073,9)
8 144
(906,4)
Mesofauna-uropodines
(ind.m-2
)
2 545,4
(401,9)
5 090,1
(269,9)
1 527,0
(33,85)
12 725
(551,3)
15 270
(759,5)
5 090,1
(358,2)
Mesofauna-gamasines
(ind.m-2
)
18 833
(1 812,9)
23 991
(917,2)
15 042
(628,8)
29 522
(3 053,0)
37 666
(1 982,1)
14 252
(768,4)
Underground phytomass
(gm-2
)
1 962,2
(52,7)
1 078,1
(9,9)
277,3
(3,8)
1 298,2
(12,3)
749,3
(13,8)
156,0
(4,6)
Total organic carbon
(g kg-1
)
26,1
(0,02)
21,1
(0,02)
20,1
(0,03)
27,6
(0,01)
20,1
(0,01)
21,2
(0,02)
Water soluble carbon
(µg g-1
)
246
(3,6)
164
(2,4)
135
(2,3)
284
(3,2)
206
(5,6)
151
(2,5)
Microbial biomass
(µg g-1
)
546
(12,0)
466
(13,9)
438
(22,5)
690
(17,2)
488
(9,6)
464
(6,2)
Dehydrogenase enzyme
(µg INTF g-1
)
79
(0,1)
26
(0,7)
22
(1,7)
45
(0,8)
32
(1,0)
16
(1,2)
Acid phosphatase enzyme
(µmol PNP g-1
h-1
)
3,0
(0,01)
2,70
(0,01)
1,75
(0,02)
2,00
(0,01)
1,57
(0,02)
1,33
(0,03)
Aggregate stability
(%)
86,1
(1,9)
80,5
(1,3)
82,3
(1,8)
87,6
(1,6)
86,6
(0,8)
67,6
(2,4)
Apparent density
(mg m-3
)
1,26
(0,01)
1,33
(0,04)
1,37
(0,02)
1,28
(0,01)
1,3
(0,01)
1,36
(0,05)
G-grassland, F- forage, C- polycrop

season (table 1). According to Bardgett (2005), the
biological and biochemical activity can be affected
by the physical properties of the soil, particularly
by the structural stability.
In fact, the best structural stability was found
in the grassland and forage areas in the rainy sea-
son, with regards to the polycrop area, which can
be related to the increase of the fraction of water
soluble carbon (Izquierdo-Brito et al., 2003). The
roots and the decomposition of crop waste are an
important part for the formation of macroaggre-
gates, a dynamic process that can be modified by
any change in the source of labile organic matter
(Gupta-Vadakattu et al., 2006).
Lastly, the apparent density was another
variable that influenced the biological activity
(Izquierdo-Brito et al., 2003), because the lowest
and optimum values, which show higher soil
quality, were obtained in the grassland and forage
areas in the rainy and the dry season, compared
with the polycrop where the higher values were
found, compaction indicators (table 1).
Integrated analysis of the variables. The prin-
cipal component analysis of the biological, physical
and chemical variables allowed to know the correla-
tions that were established between them and their
contribution, according to the impact produced by
the conversion of the area from grassland to forage
and polycrop and the seasonality. In general, all the
variables, except the mesofauna gamasines (GAM),
played a significant role (p < 0,05) in the study, ac-
cording to the internal correlation circle proposed
by Fariñas (1996), which in the first bidimensional
plane explained between the first two components
more than 55 % of the total variation of the data
(fig. 1).
A set of vectors that were correlated among
themselves and negatively with axis 1 was ob-
served, represented by the variables MAC, EPI,
END, MES, ORI and URO, TOC, SC, CBIO, AS,
UF, PA and DA. To this group of vectors the variables
AD and ANE were opposed, which were positively
correlated with the first axis; while MAC and EPI
were positively correlated with axis 2. The perfor-
mance of the last two variables was independent
from that of variables URO, SC, TOC, AS, MES
and END (fig. 1).
The macrofauna groups functionally defined
by EPI and ANE are organisms that feed from lit-
ter, for which they are related to the possibility of

exploitation of surface food sources and act in the
processing or initial transformation of organic mat-
ter (Lavelle, 1997). On the other hand, END, con-
stituted by earthworms, are more involved with the
physical conditions of the soil, aspect that has been
corroborated by their positive correlation with most
of the studied variables (fig. 1). Hence the vecto-
rial opposition of the apparent density and the total
macrofauna found in this study was more related
with the presence of END organisms that with EPI
and ANE, because of the changes produced fun-
damentally by the in the physical structure of the
soil. Different authors, such as Vasconcellos et al.
(2013), Gutiérrez and Cardona (2014) and Souza
et al. (2016), enumerater the effects of earthworm
communities on soil porosity, water infiltration and
aggregation; at the same time they are known to
stimulate considerably the microbial biomass and
biological activity, especially the phosphatase ac-
tivity of the soil.
On the other hand, the influence exerted by the
UF on the development and activity of the edaphic
biota is known, as in the case of some groups that
compose the soil mesofauna, which find in root exu-
dates a source of food and energy, as well as shelter
against disturbance conditions (Siddiky et al., 2012;
Genoy et al., 2013). The presence of certain meso-
fauna groups, such as ORI and URO associated to the
higher contents of organic matter in the soil, mainly
to total organic carbon and water soluble carbon,
shows the importance of their function in decompo-
sition and nutrient recycling (Bedano, 2012; Peredo
et al., 2012). In addition, pH, organic carbon, to-
tal nitrogen and other nutrients can influence the
mesofauna and macrofauna communities of the soil
(Moreira et al, 2012; Schon et al. 2012).
The organic carbon of the soil, released by the
roots, promotes the activity and establishment of
a thicker microbial community near the roots (Pi-
cone, 2002). Besides, it can produce increases of
this biomass and of the enzymatic activity in the
rhizosphere, as occurred in this study with the mi-
crobial biomass and the activity of the analyzed
enzymes, especially of dehydrogenase in the grass-
land (table 1).
The biological properties are acknowledged as
very sensitive indicators. Especially the enzymatic
activity has been used as potential indicator of the
soil quality in a broad context, due to the relation
with its biological activity, easiness of measurement
and fast response to management change (Dick,
2011).
The formation of stable aggregates requires the
action of diverse physical, chemical and biological
factors. As it was mentioned above, the activity and
excrements of macrofauna organisms, especially
earthworms and millipedes, can be an important
factor in the formation of these organic-mineral
complexes. Also the fine roots and microorganisms,
which produce a wide range of agglutinating
polysaccharides, can bind the soil particles with
the fungal hyphae and, literally, sustain the mineral
fractions to the organic matter of the soil (Bardgett,
2005). All this explains the correlations among the
variables URO, SC, TOC, ORI, AS, MES, END,
CBIO, DA, PA and UF (fig. 1).
The variable apparent density, which sig-
nificantly favored the second component, was
negatively correlated with the above-mentioned
variables. The AD increases are generally related
to the increase of soil compaction, causing pore de-
crease and gaseous exchange, which in turn hinder
water retention and availability and root growth
(Kulli-Honauer, 2002). From this its relation with
the soil structure is derived and, thus, it constitutes
a significant physical indicator to know the impact
of a use or use change on its quality.
Within the analyzed indicators, total organic
carbon, as main attribute of the soil, is strongly in-
fluenced by management. It is a very important in-
dicator in the sustainability of agricultural systems,
because it affects the soil properties or quality in-
dicators which have more influence on its sustained
yield (Martínez et al., 2008).
For the dual analysis with the individuals or
surveys per sites and in order to know the influence
of the soil use and seasonality, the variables EPI,
ANE, END, ORI, URO, UF, SC, PA, AS and AD
were selected. Such selection was based on the
correlation established among the variables, the
axes and agroecological methods used.
The combinations or treatments referred to
the soil management type and season defined four
groupings determined by the analysis from 1 to
24 (fig. 2). In the first group (polycrop area), with
two subgroups: dry season (C-D) and rainy season
(C-R), the first subgroup was relatively close to the
position where the maximum values of apparent
density were obtained (fig. 2), as mentioned above.
The AD increases are associated to the increase
of soil compaction, which affects its fundamental
properties and its functions. In tropical soils, the
transformation processes of their properties, due to
the land use change and its subsequent exploitation,

lead to their degradation, aggregate rupture and
loss of their structure (Hernández et al., 2009).
In the second subgroup the treatments tend-
ed to occupy regions of the space close to where
the anecic population increased (fig. 2), defined by
some species of ants, which are considered invasive
and highly adaptable to conditions of stress and dis-
turbance in the edaphic medium (Cabrera-Dávila,
2012; Cabrera-Dávila et al., 2017). These individuals
which are congregated in disturbed areas, where
disturbances have occurred in the rhizospheric soil
linked to the management with crop alternation, are
separated or overlapped in the sense in which the
maximum values of underground phytomass and
activity of the phosphatase enzyme, zone where the
second group of individuals from the grassland area
in the dry season was placed (fig. 2).
In the grassland area during the dry season a
higher development of UF and PA was reached, as
well as higher microbial biomass and enzyme ac-
tivity. The increase of root density and microbial
activity benefit the presence of endogeal organisms,
particularly of earthworms, which were also more
in this system (table 1). In agreement, the highest
contribution of earthworm casts was found in the
grassland area, with values of 379 g m-2
, compared
with those recorded in the forage and the polycrop
(249,6 and 176,4 g m-2
, respectively), and coincides
with the report by Izquierdo-Brito et al. (2004).
The third group was oriented in the sense in
which the variables END, ORI, URO, SC and AS
increased, constituted by the combinations of the
forage (FR) and grassland areas (GR) in the rainy
season (fig. 2). This proved that these uses are fa-
vored by the higher and more homogeneous plant
cover, for the conditions of higher moisture and ac-
cumulation of animal excreta and due to the mean
annual contribution of litter in the grassland and
forage areas (84,3 and 112,3 g m-2
), higher compared
with 76,5 g m-2
in the polycrop (Izquierdo-Brito
et al., 2004). As has been stated, especially in the
rainy season these systems have the best physical
and chemical conditions; for example, the organic
and labile carbon sources (table 1) for microbial
development, which also constitute the main food
source for the edaphic biota, contributing to diver-

sify and increase the edaphic fauna communities
and, thus, to improve and preserve soil fertility.
The fourth group stood out because it gathered
the variables from the forage area in the dry sea-
son (F-D), which are placed near the centroid, with
regards to the arrangement of all the variables in
the bidimensional space (fig. 2). The position of this
group might respond to the moderate values reached
by the studied variables, which was determined by
the seasonality and subsequent lower soil moisture,
as well as by the buffering cover conditions in this
system. Such result also shows the influence of
seasonality on some variables, described above, in
which different responses could be observed for the
same use (table 1, fig. 2).
In general, the studied variables allowed an
integrated interpretation of soil quality, from its
values, correlations and interrelations, as well as
from the grouping they generated for the compared
systems. Depending on the agroecological methods
and the seasonality, higher contributions of organic
matter (roots and litter), content of total organic
carbon and fractions of hydrosoluble carbon,
microbial biomass and enzymatic activity were
obtained; as well as an increase of the edaphic fauna
communities in the grassland and forage areas,
which allowed to maintain the soil structure (better
in the forage area than in the grassland). However,
the plant cover (more scarce and irregular in the
polycrop area), the differences in the characteristics of
therootsystemsofthecrops,aswellasthedisturbance
caused by their sowing and rotation propitiated soil
compaction and lower structural stability, reduced
the microbial biomass and enzymatic activity, and
favored the presence of invasive, opportunistic and
infertility indicator fauna groups.
Conclusions
It was proven that the utilization of agroeco-
logical methods in an integrated agriculture-ani-
mal husbandry system, such as planting of forage
species, crop rotation and association and addition
of organic residues, causes changes in the physical,
chemical and biological properties of the soil. The
sowing of perennial plants was favorable, because
in general they maintain soil quality due to the sta-
bility in plant cover and to the association of grasses
and legumes; while the intense tillage generated by
polycrop planting and rotation reduces it.
Although all the evaluated variables can func-
tion as bioindicators of soil quality, the biological
variables of the epigeal and endogeal macrofauna,
the oribatid and uropodine groups of the mesofau-
na, hydrosoluble carbon and phosphatase enzyme
activity, as well as the physical variables of aggre-
gate stability and apparent density and chemical
variable of total organic carbon, are particularly
suggested for this analysis, taking into considera-
tion that they are highly susceptible indicators and
the ones with faster response, in a very short term,
to the effects produced on the soil due to the change
and intensity of land use.
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Received: April 6, 2017
Accepted: December 6, 2017

Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 1, January-March, 13-19, 2018 / Soil quality index 13
Technical Note
Soil quality index in the Animal Husbandry Enterprise El Tablón
(Cienfuegos, Cuba)
Lázaro Jesús Ojeda-Quintana1
, Yoandy Machado-Díaz1
, Yanorys Bernal Carrazana1
, Martha E.
Hernández-Vilches2
, Lisbet Font-Vila3
, Consuelo Hernández-Rodríguez1
, Martha E. Hernández-
Vilches2
and Enrique Casanovas-Cosío4
1
Unidad Científica de Base Cienfuegos, Instituto de Suelos Carretera Cumanayagua-Manicaragua, Barajagua, Cienfuegos, Cuba
2
CUM Cumanayagua, Universidad de Cienfuegos, Cuba
3
Universidad de Camagüey, Cuba
4
Universidad de Cienfuegos, Cuba
E-mail: ljojeda@ucf.edu.cu
Abstract
In 2015, soil fertility studies in the main animal husbandry enterprises of Cuba showed that 90,6 % of the areas
were affected by one or more limiting factors; and in Cienfuegos province, 25 % of the agricultural surface of the
Animal Husbandry Enterprise El Tablón was not free from such deficiencies. In this study the quality index of a Grayish
Brown soil was determined in areas of natural pastures of that entity, from the validation of the software Sistema
Cuantitativo de Evaluación y Monitoreo de la Calidad del Suelo (Quantitative System of Soil Quality Evaluation and
Monitoring, SEMCAS), which integrally analyzes physical, chemical and biological indicators. The measurements
were made according to a randomized block design, in two dairy farms and in 4 x 4 m2
plots. The samples were taken
in the rainy and dry seasons. The data were statistically processed, through a simple classification variance analysis.
The physical indicators showed high apparent density and hygroscopic moisture below the established optimum range.
Acid pH was found; while assimilable phosphorus, cation exchange capacity and base saturation percentage were
low. The values of the soil quality index differed statistically between the sampling sites, although discreetly, and
in general they were between 0,29 and 0,32. To widen the sampling frequency and to include new indicators in the
evaluation are recommended.
Keywords: carbon, soil fertility, physical-chemical properties soil
Introduction
The current predictions indicate that in
2050 mankind will face, from two perspectives:
agricultural and animal husbandry, a series of
important and transcendental challenges, and the
world population can reach around 9 000 million
people.Butthisisnotjustareferencenumber,which,
in itself, leads to reflect deeply, but it also makes
the food situation complex at global level, where the
first challenge is based on a multifactorial reality
in which the following elements will be involved:
water; attention to the effects of global warming;
agricultural and animal production; adequate
management of agricultural, animal husbandry and
human byproducts; and sustainable use of the soil
resource, among other factors (Buxadé, 2015).
During 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture
(MINAGRI) conducted agrochemical studies in the
main animal husbandry enterprises of the country
(Lok, 2015). This analysis showed that 90,6 % of the
evaluated areas was affected by one or more limit-
ing factors, from them 45 % by low natural fertility.
In the Cienfuegos province 25 % of the agricultural
area of the Animal Husbandry Enterprise El Tablón
(2 200 ha) is not free from the above-mentioned de-
ficiencies, which presupposes scientific-technical
actions to mitigate their effects.
The software Sistema Cuantitativo de Evaluación
y Monitoreo de la Calidad del Suelo (Quantitative
System of Soil Quality Evaluation and Monitoring,
SEMCAS) allows to evaluate temporarily and
spatially soil quality as part of the environment,
implement actions in anticipation which prevent the
advance of soil degradation, as well as to measure
the impact of the application of conservation and
amelioration measures with an integrated and
sustainable approach (Font, 2008). In that sense, the
useofqualityindicatorsinanimalhusbandrysystems
proved the importance and interest conferred to the
quality analysis of the soils dedicated to pastures and
forages in Cuba (Lok, 2015).
The objective of this study was to determine
the quality index of a Grayish Brown soil dedicated
to the cultivation of pastures and forages in areas of
the Animal Husbandry Enterprise El Tablón with
the use of SEMCAS.

14 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 1, January-March, 13-19, 2018 / Lázaro Jesús Ojeda-Quintana
Location of the study area. The study was
conducted in two dairy farms of the Animal Hus-
bandry Enterprise El Tablón: dairy farm laborato-
ry 3, Barajagua; and dairy farm 11, genetic farm
El Abra, located in the coordinates N: 591-260 and
E: 259-250 in the cartographic sheet Barajagua
1: 25 000, Cumanayagua municipality, Cienfuegos
province, Cuba.
General soil characteristics. The soil of the area
is classified as Grayish Brown (Hernández-Jiménez
et al., 2015), with flat topography and slope from 0,5
to 1,0 m. The samples were taken on October 30,
2015 (rainy season) and April 25, 2016 (dry season).
Study description. A randomized block design
with four treatments and five replicas was used; the
evaluated treatments were:
1. Dairy farm laboratory 3, dry season (dairy farm
L-3, DS).
2. Dairy farm laboratory 3, rainy season (dairy
farm L-3, RS).
3. Dairy farm 11, dry season (dairy farm 11, DS).
4. Dairy farm 11, rainy season (dairy farm 11, RS).
Soil sampling was made in five 4 x 4 m2
plots,
by the method of random framework, in zigzag;
and 10 composite samples were taken per plot, at a
depth between 0 and 20 cm (IGAC, 2006).
Measurements. From the physical indicators
real density and apparent density (Dr and Da)
were selected; the former was conducted by the
picnometer method in xylol, the latter through the
ring method (NRAG 370, 1980), and hygroscopic
moisture (Hy) by gravimetry (NC 110, 2001).
The chemical indicators included pH in potas-
sium chloride, through the potentiometric method
(NC-ISO-10390, 1999); electrical conductivity (NC
ISO-112, 2001) and cation exchange capacity (CEC),
by the modified Melich method (Schactschabel), ac-
cording to NC ISO-65 (2000).
The biological analyses included organic matter,
by the colorimetric Walkley-Black method (NC ISO-
51, 1999); and basal respiration (BR), according to
Calero et al. (1999). Visual observations were made
of the macrofauna and mesofauna at the moment of
sampling, to quantify and identify the specimens.
To determine the soil carbon reserve (CR) at
a depth of 0-20 cm, the organic carbon was calcu-
lated from Kass equation: % OC = % OM/1,724
(Bojórquez-Serrano et al., 2015); then the CR was
quantified, by the formula:
CR (mg/ha-1
) = % OCS x AD x Ds (Hernán-
dez-Jiménez et al., 2013),
where:
RC: organic carbon reserve in the soil (mg/ha-1
).
% OCS: percentage of organic carbon in the soil.
AD: apparent density (g/cm3
)
Ds: soil depth (cm).
The soil quality index (SQI) was estimated
according to the SEMCAS methodology, from a
software program created for that purpose, whose
value varies in a range from zero to one (0-1); the
values closer to 1 will have higher quality, while in
the ones closer to zero their quality will decrease
progressively (Font, 2008).
Statistical analysis. The results were statistically
processed through a simple classification ANOVA,
and Duncan’s (1955) multiple range test for was used
mean comparison, with a reliability of 95 %, using
as tool the statistical program SPSS (version 15.0).
The real density (Dr) did not show differences
between the two dairy farms (table 1), with an average
value of 2,61 g/cm-3
. This indicator can vary with
the proportion of the elements that constitute the
soil. In general, if the organic matter content is low,
the apparent density is around 2,65 g/cm-3
(De Boodt
et al., 1967).
Table 1. Physical indicators.
Sampling site
Dr
(g/cm-3
)
Da
(g/cm-3
)
Hy
(%)
Dairy farm laboratory 3, DS 2,64 1,72 2,95b
Dairy farm laboratory 3, RS 2,60 1,81 3,33a
Dairy farm 11, DS 2,62 1,70 2,99b
Dairy farm 11,RS 2,56 1,81 3,27a
SE ± 0,178 0,141 0,189*
a, b: Different letters indicate significant differences at p ≤ 0,05 (Duncan, 1955).

The above-mentioned criterion coincides with
the results of this research, in which Dr values were
obtained between 2,56 and 2,64, without statistical
differences, in the presence of an average content
of organic matter (2,14 and 2,15 % for dairy farm
laboratory 3 and dairy farm 11, respectively). Mar-
tin and Durán (2011), in a scale for different types
of tropical soils, placed real density values between
2,40 and 2,60 as moderate, and lower than 2,40 as
low, for which the ones reached in this study are
included in the first range.
The apparent density reached similar values in
both dairy farms, without differences between the
seasons. These results are in correspondence with
the ones obtained in a compacted soil (values high-
er than 1,60), reported by Martin and Durán (2011).
Romero-Barrios et al. (2015), in quality studies
conducted on forestry and animal husbandry soils
of the National Park La Malinche –Tlaxcala state,
Mexico–, with acid pH and loamy sandy texture
class, obtained an apparent density of 1,5 g cm-3
;
which indicated compaction, due to the use of inade-
quate management practices and to grazing, fires
and indiscriminate felling, factors that caused the
increase of Da.
On the other hand, Muscolo et al. (2014) stated
that when Da increases, the soil compaction is high-
er and it can affect water holding capacity and limit
root growth, because Da is modified by the solid
particles and pore space, which in turn conditions
the organic matter, for which Da and OM are in-
versely proportional. In soils of fine texture the Da
varies between 1,0 and 1,2 g cm-3
; while in sandy
soils it is higher: between 1,02 and 1,62 g cm-3
. In
this study the results exceeded this range.
The Hy did not show differences between the
dairy farms, with the highest values in the rainy
season (table 1). It was significant that it did not
vary between 6 and 8 %, range recommended by
MINAG (1984) for an adequate development of
tropical cultivable species, but it was well below;
hence it is inferred that a Hy content lower than 6 %
holds water less, typical characteristic of Grayish
Brown soils.
Menghini et al. (2015), in soils with high
content of sand and little depth of the southeast of
the Argentinean province of Buenos Aires, where
there was also a level of variable rainfall and framed
in seasonal periods, found limitations to maintain
adequate moisture. This coincides with the results of
this study, because the hygroscopic moisture was not
within the established range, also in a sandy soil.
Table 2 shows the pH and CEC values. It was
observed that between the different sites there
were no differences in pH and that the average
value was 4,7. According to the report by Martin
and Duran (2011), they are classified as acid soils.
These authors also refer that in soils with this pH,
phosphorus fixation; low organic matter content;
deficiencies because of magnesium, calcium and
potassium depletion; restrictions for specific crops;
and proportionality between pH and CEC, are very
frequent.
Table 2. Values of pH and cation exchange capacity.
Sampling site pH
CEC
(cmol kg-1
)
Dairy farm laboratory 3, DS 4,81 10,54a
Dairy farm laboratory 3, RS 4,92 10,11ab
Dairy farm 11, DS 4,64 9,96ab
Dairy farm 11,RS 4,53 9,28b
SE ± 0,016 0,493*
a, b: Different letters indicate significant differences at
p ≤ 0,05 (Duncan,1955).
Regarding CEC, the results of this study coin-
cide with the ones reported by MINAG (1984) and
by Martin and Durán (2011), which considered as
very low the CEC values lower than 10 cmol kg-1
;
and as low, those between 10 and 19 cmol kg-1
. Thus
the CEC turned out to be from very low to low.
Pulido-Fernández (2014) considered CEC as an
accurate indicator for estimating soil quality, giv-
en the interaction it causes with its other chemical,
physical and biological factors.
Table 3 shows the results of electrical conduc-
tivity (EC), saturation of bases (V) and calcium/
magnesium ratio (Ca2+
/Mg2+
). The EC of the studied
areas oscillated between 0,40 and 0,71 dS m-1
and it
was higher in the dairy farm laboratory 3, in the dry
as well as the rainy season, with difference from
dairy farm 11 under equal conditions.
The V percentage in Cuban soils varies in a
range of 70-90 %, according to MINAG (1984). If it
is higher than 90 % it can be inadequate for plants
sensitive to high levels of carbonates, and if it is
lower than 50 % it corresponds to acid soils, as it is
observed in table 3 (45,10 and 46,32, respectively).
This author also states that the V value is closely re-
lated to pH and CEC, because they are directly pro-
portional. On the other hand, the V percentages did
not show differences between the two dairy farms.
Martin and Durán (2011), in their evaluation
scale for Cuban soils, referred that with base satu-

ration percentages higher than 75 % the saturation
level is reached, and between 40 and 75 % the soils
are moderately unsaturated (as occurred in both
dairy farms). These results can evidently influence
the response pastures could have in time, because
the interaction of the V value with other indicators
occurs spontaneously and, generally does not obey an-
thropogenic factors that could disturb the ecosystem.
The optimum Ca2+
/Mg2+
ratio is around 6:1;
below 2:1 it is low and problems can occur because
of Mg2+
excess, higher than 10:1 it is high and
indicates well-marked deficiencies of this element
(Muñiz, 2004). It was observed that this ratio
statistically differed between the two dairy farms
(table 3) and it was higher in dairy farm 3. The
values, in all the cases, were below 6:1; although
they were not lower than 2:1.
The performance of organic matter, carbon
reserve and basal respiration are shown in table 4. The
organic matter content did not show differences
between the different sites. Martin and Durán
(2011), in their gradation scale of organic matter for
Cuban soils, stated that the range of 1,5-3,0 % is
low; while Crespo et al. (2009) framed it between
1,3 and 3,0 %. Both criteria coincide with the
results in this study, in which the mean value was
2,13 % (low).
Font (2008), when applying the SEMCAS
methodology, acknowledged OM as fundamental
among its indicators; because it is considered one
of the most important components to define quality
and influences the performance of other properties.
The report by Fernández et al. (2016) should not ob-
viated, concerning the fact that the type of soil use
significantly influences the contents of OM and its
fractions, by modifying its physical properties. It
must be emphasized that a decrease of OM in the
soil brings about an increase of Da, as occurred in
this study.
The organic matter is more specific in its rela-
tions with CEC, Dr and Da; and can reach a pro-
portional correlation, according to Menghini et al.
(2014). The OM content is essential to interpret the
soil quality results. These authors found, in acid
soils cultivated with pastures, that when intercrop-
ping tree legumes a seasonal increase of organic
matter occurred, but without influencing the CEC.
Although the physical, chemical and biological
indicators do not separately determine soil quality,
most of the studies coincide in stating that OM is
the main indicator, and undoubtedly the one that
has a more significant influence on soil quality and
productivity (Duval et al., 2013).
Regarding basal respiration and carbon re-
serves, no differences were found between the two
dairy farms (table 4). As a result of the application
of the SEMCAS methodology on different soil
types of Camagüey, Font (2008) considered 18,37
mmol CO2
kg-1
as standard value. The results of this
study were lower in all the sampled sites, which
could indicate lower biological activity.
Table 3. Saturation of bases, calcium-magnesium ratio and electrical conductivity.
Sampling site V (%) Ca2+
/Mg2+
EC (dS/m) -
Dairy farm laboratory 3, DS 45,75 3,72ª 0,71a
Dairy farm laboratory 3, RS 46,32 3,72ª 072a
Dairy farm 11, DS 45,10 2,65b
0,40b
Dairy farm 11,RS 46,05 2,57b
0,41b
SE ± 1,134 0,166* 0,105*
a, b: different letters indicate significant differences at p ≤ 0,05 (Duncan,1955).
Table 4. Organic matter, carbon reserve and basal respiration.
Sampling site
OM
%
CR
mg/ha-1
BR
mmol CO2
kg-1
Dairy farm laboratory 3, DS 2,17 43,34 16,49
Dairy farm laboratory 3, RS 2,12 44,52 16,08
Dairy farm 11, DS 2,14 42,16 16,34
Dairy farm 11,RS 2,16 45,25 16,65
SE ± 0,236 1,364 0,561

Soil respiration in the ecosystems is very vari-
able, spatially as well as temporarily, and is deter-
mined by moisture, temperature, dissolved oxygen,
pH, nutrient content and other indicators, according
to Riestra (2012), who found variations when mea-
suring this indicator in different soils and pheno-
logical stages of different tropical crops.
Ambrosino (2015), when evaluating the de-
composition and dynamics of nutrients in a slightly
acid soil of natural pasturelands in the Argentinean
Buenos Aires southeast, referred that its moisture
content increased as the foliage cover was reduced;
while the basal respiration increased according to
temperature, as the existing biota was activated. This
performance is characteristic of temperate climates.
On the other hand, Andrade et al. (2014) and
Andrade (2016) found, in the Colombian paramos,
a higher content of organic carbon of the soil in pas-
turelands than in forest areas, which they ascribed
to the dynamics of the fine roots of pastures; which,
because of their senescence or defoliation due to
grazing, cause large quantities of carbon to be in-
corporated to the soil. In subsequent studies Cabre-
ra-Dávila (2012) considered that, from the biological
point of view, to evaluate the soil and ecosystem
conservation-disturbance status the edaphic macro-
fauna can be taken into consideration, which groups
invertebrates higher than 2 mm diameter (Annelida:
Oligochaeta), termites (Insecta: Isoptera) and ants
(Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae), which act as
ecosystem engineers in the pore formation, water
infiltration, and organic matter humification and
mineralization.
The above-expressed facts could be noticed
in visual observations made during sampling, be-
cause macrofauna specimens were found, such as
coleopterans, ants and earthworms, but in all cases
very scarce (less than 10 individuals).
Monitoring the physical, chemical and biologi-
cal properties is essential to take appropriate and
timely measures with regards to management, and
integrates relations and functions among the different
indicators that are measured and which are important
for agroecosystem sustainability (Moreno et al.,
2015).
From the analysis of the evaluated indicators,
once the SEMCAS methodology was applied, SQI
values were reached between 0,29 and 0,32 in the 0-1
scale, which differed statistically between the evalua-
ted sites (fig. 1). The SQI was higher in the dairy farm
laboratory 3, although with discreet differences.
Leyva-Rodríguez (2013) made an estimation
of quality indicators to design and implement manage-
ment technologies in Luvisols, in La Veguita mu-
nicipality (northern zone of Las Tunas province,
Cuba), in five soil use systems (grove, natural pas-
ture, cultivated pasture and two silvopastoral sys-
tems); for such purpose, she selected a minimum
group of physical, chemical and biological indica-
tors and integrated them in a quality index. In their
interpretation she used the scale of transformation
into five soil quality classes, proposed by Cantú et

al. (2009). The SEMCAS methodology does not
contemplate a range of classes, for which, according
to Cantú et al. (2009), the SQI reached corresponds to
a fourth class.
Soil fertility and quality can be different from
one place to another within the same area, accord-
ing to Rosa (2013). These changes occur even in
very short distances and originate extraordinary
spatial variability, for which soils in the landscape
represent a huge mosaic of endless tiles. This crite-
rion can support the statistical difference found in
the SQI between the two dairy farms, even under
similar management conditions.
When implementing the SEMCAS methodology
in different soil types of Camagüey province –
Cuba–, Font (2008) found points of approach and
differences in the SQI values, which is in correspon-
dence with the fluctuation trend of the SQI indicated
by other methodologies worldwide.
Ramirez (2013) conducted for the first time in
Cuba, in areas of intensive turfgrass production,
on a lixiviated Ferralitic Red soil with pH between
5,6 and 6,4 of Matanzas province –Cuba–, an inde-
pendent study of soil quality indicators (physical,
chemical and biological), and could correlate the
biological variables with the physical and chemical
ones. It was proven that the soils were degraded,
mainly, in their physical indicators (compaction, re-
sistance to penetration and little porosity).
It is concluded that the validation of the
SEMCAS methodology allowed to determine
the quality of the Grayish Brown soil in natural
pasture areas, with indexes between 0,29 and 0,32
in the 0-1 scale, which indicates a low quality level.
There was a marked correspondence between the
individual analysis of some indicators and the SQI,
and it was also observed that estimating soil quality
is essential to diagnose the concrete situation of the
production areas and to outline strategies for their
sustainability; likewise, the need to include new
indicators and to establish monitoring programs in
time, is not discarded.
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periencia práctica a los sistemas de ayuda a la
decisión. Discurso pronunciado en el acto de su
recepción como Académico Numerario a la Real
Academia Sevillana de Ciencias. Sevilla: Es-
paña. http://www.rasc.es/discursos-de-ingreso.
html. [06/12/2017], 2013.
Received: October 12, 2017
Accepted: December 18, 2017

20 Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 1, January-March, 20-28, 2018 / Iván Lenin Montejo-Sierra
Scientific Paper
Dehydration of the foliage, under sunlight and shade, of three forage
protein plants
Iván Lenin Montejo-Sierra, Luis Lamela-López and Onel López-Vigoa
Estación Experimental de Pastos y Forrajes Indio Hatuey, Universidad de Matanzas, Ministerio de Educación Superior
Central España Republicana, CP 44280, Matanzas, Cuba
E-mail: lenin@ihatuey.cu
Abstract
The objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of the drying method (under sunlight and shade) of the
foliage of Morus alba (mulberry), Boehmeria nivea (ramie) and Tithonia diversifolia (Mexican sunflower), on the
dehydration dynamics and meal quality. The water loss, under sunlight and shade, of the edible biomass of each spe-
cies, was determined. The yield and bromatological quality were quantified in the dehydrated foliage. A completely
randomized design was used, with two treatments and seven replicas each. The foliage dehydration was reached after
five days with both drying methods, in the three species. The yield in meal was higher in mulberry, than in ramie and
Mexican sunflower (186,4; 131,5 and 81,2 g /kg GM, respectively); however, in each species it had a similar value with
both drying forms. In mulberry and ramie, although the dehydration method did not affect the CP content of the meal,
under shade the highest values of DM (88,2 %), ADF (33,8 %) and cellulose (26,8 %) were detected in the former, as
well as the value of ADF (39,8 %), cellulose (25,8 %) and lignin (9,2 %) in the latter. In Mexican sunflower, the drying
under sunlight produced a higher CP content (27,1 %); while DM (89,6 %), ADF (34,1 %) and cellulose (25,7 %) were
higher with drying under shade. It is concluded that both drying types constitute an alternative to dehydrate the edible
biomass of the three species, with little affectation of the bromatological indicators.
Keywords: Boehmeria nivea, drying, meal, Morus alba, Tithonia diversifolia.
Introduction
In tropical countries, the rainy season brings
about an increase of biomass production of forage
plants. This production is so high that the animals
cannot consume all the available feedstuff;
nevertheless, the surplus that is generated can be
preserved and offered in the dry season (González-
García and Martín-Martín, 2015).
The studies in Cuba focus more on the use of
locally available forage resources, which contribute
decisively to the establishment of adequate sustaina-
ble production systems (Milera-Rodríguez, 2010).
Different authors indicate that the edible biomass
produced by some shrub and tree forage plants can
be used as meal (Castrejón-Pineda et al., 2016).
The high production of plant biomass in the
tropic and the existence of many species with high
feeding potential for herbivore animals encourage
the conservation of these resources and their nutri-
tional evaluation. This practice contributes to de-
crease the unexpected events that occur because of
pests and long droughts, which affect plant availa-
bility and growth (Moreno and Sueiro, 2009).
Foliage dehydration, when having an optimum
relation between yield and quality of the edible
biomass, to be turned later into meal, guarantees
preserving a feedstuff of good quality and, sub-
sequently, of high nutritional value. In addition,
it allows to decrease the weight and volume with
regards to that of the fresh feed, for which it facili-
tates storage and transportation.
On the other hand, this conservation process
contributes to optimize the use of local resources of
the agroecosystems, and to increase self-sufficien-
cy in the generation of the raw materials that can be
incorporated in the diets of the animals from different
species. Likewise, it allows to store and preserve
feedstuffs for the dry season (Cattani, 2011).
The preservation of the exceeding foliage in the
form of meal is attractive for tropical countries with
low technological resources. In them different plant
species have been evaluated which have been incor-
porated to the animal diets as meal, mainly in pigs
and rabbits (Leyva et al., 2012).
In this sense, mulberry (Morus alba), ramie
(Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaud.) and Mexican sun-
flower (Tithonia diversifolia) are plants with high
production of edible biomass and of high nutritional
value. Due to these characteristics, their surplus
can be preserved as meal and have been included
as protein plants in diets of different animal species
(Ruíz et al., 2014). In Cuba, the dehydration kinetics
during drying under sunlight has been studied, but
there is little information about the dehydration

Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 41, No. 1, January-March, 20-28, 2018 / Dehydration of the foliage of forage plants 21
kinetics under shade, which allows foliage to reach
high dry matter content in little time of exposure.
That is why the objective of this research was to
study the influence of drying form (under sunlight
or shade) of the foliage of M. alba, B. nivea and T.
diversifolia, on the dehydration dynamics and meal
quality.
Location of the experiments. The experiments
were conducted at the Pastures and Forages Re-
search Station Indio Hatuey of the Perico munici-
pality, Matanzas province, Cuba (22° 50’ 12.26” N,
81° 02’ 25.99” W), at 19 m.a.s.l..
Characterization of the soil and used plant
material. The area from which the plant material
was taken to conduct the experiment had 300 m2
;
while the characteristic soil where the three species
were planted is Ferralitic Red (Hernández-Jiménez
et al., 2015)2015. The management of the plantation
did not include irrigation or fertilization and the
harvest of the forage that would be dehydrated was
performed at the end of the rainy season.
Design and treatments. The cutting age of the
foliage in each species was established according
to the recommendations made by Elizondo and
Table 1. Treatments used in the research.
Species Age (days) Drying form
Morus alba 60 Sun
Shade
Boehmeria nivea 40 Sun
Shade
Tithonia diversifolia 60 Sun
Shade
Boschini (2002), García et al. (2007) and Verdecia
et al. (2011).
The dehydration of the foliage was evaluated
under two conditions: sunlight and shade (table 1),
with seven replicas for each drying form (treat-
ment) per species.
Climate conditions in the experimental stage.
The climate elements during the experimental pe-
riod were provided by the Meteorological Station
of the EEPF Indio Hatuey, located less than 200 m
away from the experimental area. Figure 1 shows
the summary of the climate data recorded by the
Station during the days in which the foliage was de-
hydrated and at the time of weighing (fig. 1).

Dehydration method. For dehydration under
sunlight the samples were placed on an asphalted
surface, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; from this hour
and throughout the night they were left under roof
in a closed place. A quantity of 1,03 ± 0,03 kg of
forage (fresh stems of 0,75 m with their leaves) was
deposited in woven nylon bags (table 2).
Table 2. Initial weight of the edible biomass of the three
species dehydrated under sun and under shade.
Species
Drying
Sun Shade SE ±
M. alba 1,05 1,05 0,0011
B. nivea 1,03 1,04 0,015
T. diversifolia 1,02 1,02 0,0022
In the case of the dehydration under shade the
samples were deposited in an open and roofed shed,
only protected with cyclone fence in the laterals, on
a steel rod grid at a height from the soil of 1,2 m.
The sacs with the samples of all the experi-
ments were weighed at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and
3:00 p.m., and in the case of the samples exposed
to sunlight, they were turned after being weighed,
which was daily done until reaching constant
weight. After reaching it in the samples during
two days that dehydrated biomass was ground and
stored as meal in glass flasks with screw tops, in the
chemical analysis laboratory, until the quantifica-
tion of the indicators.
Calculations and statistical analyses. The de-
hydration curve was elaborated with the values
of the daily average weight of the seven replicas
of each treatment. The weighing to estimate the
weight loss of the samples were carried out every
2 h, during the time the biomass was exposed to
dehydration until reaching constant weight.
The calculations were made with the equations
detailed below. For quantifying the weight losses
this equation was used:
% WL =
(Wi-Wf) x 100
W
Where:
% WL: percentage of weight loss.
Wi: initial weight of edible biomass.
Wf: final weight of the edible biomass
The moisture (M) of the sample, expressed in per-
centage, was calculated by the following equation:
Where:
W1: weight, in kilograms, of the woven nylon
sac with the sample.
W2: weight, in kilograms, of the woven nylon
sac with the dehydrated sample.
W: weight, in kilograms, of the sample.
To the dehydrated and ground biomass (meal)
the quality was determined through proximal
chemical analysis, which included dry matter
(DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber
(NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF), cellulose,
lignin and ash, according to the regulations of in-
ternational AOAC (2005).
Statistical processing. To evaluate the weight
loss during the dehydration kinetics a comparison
of means was made with variance analysis, through
Duncan’s test for p ≤ 0,05.
The weight difference of the dry biomass with
each drying form, the yield and the bromatological
quality in each species, were evaluated through the
Student’s t-test.
Influence of drying form on the dehydration
dynamics of the foliage of M. alba, B. nivea
and T. diversifolia
The final weight of the foliage exposed to the
dehydration process under sunlight and shade is
shown in table 3. No significant differences were
found in any of the three species in the final dry
weight between the two dehydration forms.
M % =
(W1-W2) x 100
W
Table 3. Final weight (kg) of the dehydrated edible
biomass under sunlight and shade.
Species
Drying
Sun Shade SE ±
M. alba 0,29 0,30 0,0007
B. nivea 0,21 1,04 0,0049
T. diversifolia 0,16 0,17 0,0005
With both drying forms adequate foliage dehy-
dration was achieved, and the results coincide with
those obtained by López et al. (2012), who reported
DM ranges for mulberry, ramie and Mexican sun-
flower of 26-29; 12,0-14,7 and 14,3-19,1 %, respec-
tively. These species show low to moderate dry
matter contents. In addition, as their CP exceeds

that of tropical grasses, the foliage of these plants
is commonly used for feeding monogastric animals
and ruminants.
The dehydration under shade shows advantages
with regards to drying under sunlight, especially
under the climate conditions of Cuba which are
very variable, and where the high temperatures are
between 25 and 34 ºC in the rainy season (INSMET,
2016). This is the propitious period to preserve fo-
liage, because the forage production is abundant. A
part of the biomass which is not used in that season
for directly feeding the animals remains as surplus,
and can be preserved as meal or silage to be offered
in the dry season (Ramos-Trejo et al., 2013).
These climate conditions favorable for the growth
of forage (higher quantity of light hours and intensity
of solar radiation) are adequate for the process
of dehydration under sun. Nevertheless, the high
relative humidity, high cloudiness and higher rainfall
frequency also coincide (fig. 1), which attempt against
good direct exposure to sunlight constantly and stably,
as required by this type of drying.
Plant biomass production is seasonal; for such
reason, an alternative is sought to preserve the
foliage as meal in an economic way, and use it in
animal husbandry to reduce productive costs. It
is necessary to emphasize that the forages of this
study are characterized by an edible biomass pro-
duction of 78-80 % in the rainy season with regards
to the total value of the year (González et al., 2013).
Martín et al. (2007) reported that one hectare
of mulberry produces the equivalent to 6 t of con-
centrate feed at a cost of 290,00 CUC vs. 1 200,00
CUC, at least, which would be the cost of that
amount of concentrate feed.
On the other hand, Canul-Ku et al. (2013) indi-
cated that the use of mulberry foliage represented
saving 29,0; 38,6 and 54,1 % per doe in the cost
of commercial concentrate, for the treatments with
restriction to 200, 160 and 120 g day–1
, respectively.
Hence an alternative is sought, like drying un-
der roof shade for dehydration, which overcomes
the climate problems.
The material to be dehydrated was harvested in
October, and, as it usually occurs in Cuba, the cli-
mate changed rapidly, from sunny days, adequate
for dehydration, to cloudy days with rainfall traces,
accompanied by high cloudiness and relative hu-
midity (fig. 1), which attempts against the water loss
rate in the biomass exposed to drying.
When analyzing these data, it was observed
that they are far from the recommendations by
other authors to dry the material (Muciño-Castillo,
2014), that is, choosing sunny days with low rela-
tive humidity. During the evaluation rainfall of
74,5 mm occurred in five days.
The practical advantages of drying under roof
is the fact that there is no risk of the feedstuff be-
ing lost or deteriorated due to unexpected rain, or
need of extra labor to put away the foliage and af-
terwards to expose it to sunlight again, which can
delay the drying period and increase the losses in
the quality of the material with which the work is
done (Guevara-Pérez, 2010).
When exposing the foliage that is dehydrated in
a protected premise, its transfer to put it under shel-
ter is not necessary, which implies not having an
additional facility or destining a man for that activi-
ty. Likewise, no fuel is required to generate the heat
that helps to evaporate the water contained in such
material. When the farmer dehydrates the material
he/she does not need to be aware of climate and thus
can perform other activities during that time. Once
the biomass is drying, it is not gathered again until
it is dry to be stored.
The structure of the shed where the foliage
was dehydrated allowed the passage of air, which
contributed to water loss and benefitted the drying
process; this coincides with the report by Pine-
da-Castro et al. (2009), who stated that, from the
climate variables, temperature and air speed were
the ones that showed higher influence on the dehy-
dration of the mulberry forage.
The biomass dehydration kinetics showed a
similar performance in the three species. Figures
2, 3 and 4 show a drastic water loss in the first
and second days, which is in correspondence with
approximately 70-90 % of the moisture that was
eliminated throughout the dehydration process.
Nevertheless, until the fifth day no constant weight
of the sample was reached, coinciding with the
report by Silveira-Prado and Franco-Franco (2006).
Under those conditions, the moisture losses
of the edible biomass in the forage of each species
were 72,4; 79,8 and 84,3 %; similarly, in literature
contents between 74 and 90 % are reported (López,
2012).
The dry matter and stability in the moisture
content reached by the foliage of the species were
adequate for the meal to preserve its quality. This
has been reported by Itzá-Ortiz et al. (2010).
In the case of the dehydration curve of mul-
berry (fig. 2), it coincides with the one reported by
Martín et al. (2007).

In the studies conducted by Meza et al. (2014)
the drying time was lower, because only the leaves
were dehydrated; while in this study, the increase
of time to achieve dehydration was due to the fact
that the dried biomass contained leaves and fresh
stems. In addition, as it was stated above, during
the dehydration period rainfall occurred, which,
undoubtedly, influenced the duration of the drying
process.
The leaves alone show a higher drying rate
when they are bound to the stem; for such reason,
the dehydration of biomass in the second case re-
quires more time. A possible explanation of this
phenomenon is that when drying the edible foliage
(leaves and fresh stems), part of the water of the
leaves when they wilt can be accumulated in the
fresh stems and be added to the water they contain;
which occurs because the leaf surface:volume ratio

of the leaves is higher than in the stems (Jahn-B. et
al., 2003).
Effect of the drying form of the foliage on the
yield and bromatological quality of the meal
The yield in meal, obtained from the green
foliage, was quantified (table 4). The mulberry forage
produced 1,4 times more meal per kilogram of green
matter than ramie, and 2,3 times more than Mexican
sunflower. These differences in production among
the three species had been reported by López et al.
(2012).
Table 5 shows the results of the proximal
chemical analysis of the meal for each one of the
species. There were significant differences in DM
(p < 0,001) for mulberry and Mexican sunflower
between the two drying forms, although they are
not important from the practical point of view, be-
cause they did not exceed the percentage unit. Itzá
et al. (2010) reported similar values to the ones in
this work for the meal from mulberry leaves, with
89,5 and 17,1 % for the DM and CP, respective-
ly. The CP differed (p < 0,05) only in the case of
Mexican sunflower.
The contents of crude fiber, neutral detergent
fiber and acid detergent fiber of the forages did
not differ from the ones reported by Naranjo and
Cuartas (2011), who classified M. alba, B. nivea
and T. diversifolia as protein forage plants. These
plants have a protein content between 14 and 29 %
(Retamal-Contreras, 2006), which depends, among
other factors, on the age of the forage of each species.
For such reason, the adequate utilization of these
forages in animal feeding increases the protein of
the diet and live weight gain, in monogastric species
as well as ruminants (Leyva-Cambar et al., 2012).
The values of ADF and cellulose in the three
species, as well as lignin in ramie, were higher
when the forage was dehydrated under shade. The
other evaluated indicators did not differ between
both drying forms in any of the species.
According to Periche et al. (2015), the ADF and
lignin are susceptible of changing due to the effect
Table 4. Yield in meal from the fresh forage of the three
species.
Species
g DM/kg fresh forage
Sun SE ± Shade SE ±
M. alba 183,9 12,70 188,9 13,26
B. nivea 126,9 8,20 136,1 11,04
T. diversifolia 82,7 7,09 79,7 2,48
No significant differences were found for the
yield in meal between both drying forms of each
forage species (table 4). This proved that it is possible
to use the two variants under local conditions, like
the existing ones in Cuban animal husbandry farms.
Nevertheless, dehydrating under shade guarantees
that drying is not affected if unexpected rainfall
occurs.

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